ASSEMBLY 2019: Mondeggi – Italy

Dear Stars,

You are invited to join the European assembly of Reclaim the Fields 2019, which will take place close to Firenze, Italia, between 5th and 10th february 2019. The meeting will be hosted by collective Mondeggi.

About the assembly

The assemblies happen every year during winter. Generally they bring together people active in RTF constellation, but everybody is welcome.

The last European Assembly happened in February 2018 in Tarn, France, and was hosted by the collective Rocalet.

meet and exchange information amongst the stars and local groups since last year;

exchange and debate on themes that matters to us across Europe and beyond;

to see where we are at with our European Reclaim the Fields constellation: what was decided last year, for what results, what we need to do to continue, and what future plans we have;

offer support to the local group that hosts the meeting;

to have fun and build relationships between us

party on saturday night at the squat nEXt Emerson!!!

Here is a pad where we startet to collect a program: https://lite.framacalc.org/rtf2019AssemblySchedule. Feel free to add propositions directly in this table or by contacting us. Anyway, don t forget to email us (contactrtf@riseup.net) so we get more details and can contact you if we have any questions.

Local context

Mondeggi is a farm owned by the Metropolitan City of Florence (former Province) and runned by a private enterprise until 2009, when the enterprise failed leaving 1,5 milion euros of debts.

In 2013 was born the committee Terra Bene Comune (Land common good) that involves paesants, students, people interested in food sovereignty, etc, with the attempt to help young people to find lands to grow food according to agroecological principles.

In 2014 the committee decide to occupy Mondeggi, settle a community and a start an experimentation of alternative living, organic farming, popular education, alternative markets, etc.

Nowadays there are around 20 peoples living in the farm, 200 peoples taking care of part of the olive trees and vegetable gardens and around 40 peoples supporting at different levels the project.

Practical info

In terms of accommodation, there will be space for around 50 people in the dormitories, some heated and others not. There will also be small sleeping spaces for more specific needs. Warm clothes sleeping bags and LAMPE FRONTALE are recommended. There is space for camping outside and spaces to park vehicles.

More practical info will be sent closer to the assembly.

We invite people to come few days earlier and help out with setting up the space. If you want to join the preparation group, let us know by e-mail.

We provide the food, and let you use the electicity, showers and heating… Which will be paid back by your free-price participation.

pets: the best is if they would stay at their home as we have dogs, cats, chickens and ducks (chickens and ducks during the day are free and walk around the farm).

Mondeggi is also a place where many locals come to do jogging, cycling and walking around with their dogs, so in the past we already had problems related to our dogs.

(they were running in group of 5 or 6 barking against the passers-by …not very nice… now the situation is better but we wouldn’t like to repeat)

How to participate

As always its a self-organised meeting, so there are and will be many ways to participate.

If you want to present a star, project or local struggle it would be great to inform us in advance. Additionally this year we have planned to make a little exhibition which will take place during the public seed exchange on Saturday, 09.02., in Florence. You could help us by bringing info material or sending it to us, so that it can be presentedthere.

Furthermore we need people from the RtF working groups (access to land, seeeds, farming network,homepage,…), who could present their work and maybe start/facilitate a discussion about it or get organized during the assembly. Also if you know active members of working groups, please contact us.

How to reach Mondeggi

By car: highway A1->exit Firenze sud direction SP127-> exit direction Ponte a ema/Greve/Siena->follow the indications for Grassina, when you’ ll arrive downtown turn left direction San Polo, then turn left direction Villa di Mondeggi and take the (dirt) road on the right.

Junction FI-SI(Firenze-Siena)-> exit Firenze Impruneta-> take the A1 to Firenze-Pisa Nord->exit Firenze Sud direction SP127->exit Ponte a ema/Greve/Siena->follow the indications for Grassina, when you’ ll arrive downtown turn left direction San Polo, then turn left direction Villa di Mondeggi and take the (dirt) road on the right.

By bus: from Firenze’s train station SMN (Santa Maria Novella)take the bus 17 until San Marco square->bus 32 direction Antella->get off at the bus stop „Grassina02”->bus 49 direction San Polo->get off at the stop “Castel di ruggero” and then walk for about ten minutes following following the indications to Villa Mondeggi; or take the bus 32 direction Antella->get off at the terminus turn right and go straight on along via di Pulicciano, walking about 15 minutes, you’ll cross „via di Mondeggi” then follow it.

Car sharing:

here below you got the link to share a ride (heither offering or taking)to Mondeggi.

Write OFFRO if you offer or CERCO if you’re searching for someone to give you a lift,place of depart,name, phone number in the case of the day and the time you prefer!

Registration form

If you or your group will join the assembly please fill in the Registration Form. This is very important for the people that do the organisation, so that everything will be prepared good when participants arrive. If you have any suggestion for the program, there will be a special place in the form where you can let us know in advance about it.

Contact

Please spread this invitation to the stars in your region, or people who might be interrested